‘Pee-Wee’s Playhouse’ Returns to TV Next Week, Starting With a 24-Hour Marathon

AAAAAAAAAAA! (Sorry, getting all my Pee-wee references out of the way early here.)

Everyone’s favorite gray-suited, red-bowtied children’s host is back, with IFC announcing it will begin airing the classic TV series Pee-wee’s Playhousenext week. They’re kicking things off with a 24-hour Thanksgiving marathon, which will include “the iconic holiday special Christmas at Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.” The festivities begin at 6AM on November 22. After that, Pee-wee will air on Saturday mornings (remember Saturday morning kids’ shows? Yeah you do.) beginning on November 24.

All five Playhouse seasons will appear on the network. 45 episodes were created for CBS from 1986 to 1990. With its eclectic visuals, unique characters, and innovative puppets, Pee-wee’s Playhouse made a huge impression on the youth of the ’80s and ’90s, with the show earning more than 20 Emmys during its initial run on TV. The series was canceled in 1990, not long before Pee-wee star Paul Reubens’ infamous arrest in a Florida porn theater. In response, reruns of the show were yanked off the air, and Pee-wee’s shows and films vanished from the public eye for a while.

Eventually, Reubens made a very welcome comeback and so did Pee-wee. He revived his critically acclaimed stage show (which featured several iconic Playhouse characters and was recorded for HBO) and a new Netflix movie, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday. We never got a full-on Playhouse revival or movie (something Reubens has talked about wanting to do in the past), but it’s not too late. I say watch every single airing on IFC to ensure massive ratings and show the powers the be that there is an appetite for new episodes.